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<title>Debugging with GDB: Arguments</title>

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<a name="Arguments"></a>
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<a name="Your-Program_0027s-Arguments"></a>
<h3 class="section">4.3 Your Program&rsquo;s Arguments</h3>

<a name="index-arguments-_0028to-your-program_0029"></a>
<p>The arguments to your program can be specified by the arguments of the
<code>run</code> command.
They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard characters and
performs redirection of I/O, and thence to your program.  Your
<code>SHELL</code> environment variable (if it exists) specifies what shell
<small>GDB</small> uses.  If you do not define <code>SHELL</code>, <small>GDB</small> uses
the default shell (<samp>/bin/sh</samp> on Unix).
</p>
<p>On non-Unix systems, the program is usually invoked directly by
<small>GDB</small>, which emulates I/O redirection via the appropriate system
calls, and the wildcard characters are expanded by the startup code of
the program, not by the shell.
</p>
<p><code>run</code> with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
<code>run</code>, or those set by the <code>set args</code> command.
</p>
<dl compact="compact">
<dd><a name="index-set-args"></a>
</dd>
<dt><code>set args</code></dt>
<dd><p>Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is run.  If
<code>set args</code> has no arguments, <code>run</code> executes your program
with no arguments.  Once you have run your program with arguments,
using <code>set args</code> before the next <code>run</code> is the only way to run
it again without arguments.
</p>
<a name="index-show-args"></a>
</dd>
<dt><code>show args</code></dt>
<dd><p>Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
</p></dd>
</dl>




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